Download The Bombing of Dresden

The Bombing of Dresden
Alex Elevathingal, Jack Humble, Ernie Yang, and
Michael McClelland
Dresden
Thesis
The Allied bombing of Dresden during WWII was an extremely controversial piece of World War II, as
the loss of life and tremendous damage caused an excessive amount of unnecessary destruction.
The reason for targeting Dresden was mainly to attack any form of Nazi Germany, and to stop the
production of weapons from the city. Considering that Dresden was a Nazi city, attacking it made
sense. Overall, the bombing of Dresden was an excessive revenge attack on an already breaking
down Germany, showing that the Allies were finally taking revenge on Germany for the atrocities
during WWII. The result was total destruction of Dresden, and the beginning of the end for the Nazi
German empire.
About the Bombing of Dresden
● Dresden - an old city, East Germany
● February 13-15, 1945
● Sides - Germany (Axis)/ America and UK (Allies)
● Allied forces led by British Air Chief Marshal
Sir Arthur Harris
● Dresden = Key transport junction
● USA and UK believed that the bombing would diminish morale
Background
● Britain was still angered about the Nazi bombing of the United Kingdom
during the Blitz
● Dresden was a cultural center that remained un-bombed throughout the
majority of the war
● Dresden was mainly without anti-aircraft guns
● German forces moved through Dresden as the Soviet army advanced
deeper into Germany
Allied Instigators
Winston Churchill
Arthur Harris
U.S Eighth Air Force
Timeline
February 13-February 15, 1945
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52Dx6V_DhE0
Aftermath of Dresden
● Decisive Allied “victory”
● Estimated 35,000-130,000 civilians were
killed
● City basically leveled
● Some historical buildings were rebuilt
Controversy
Germany’s empire was quickly shrinking after Operation Barbarosa
An allied victory was clearly at hand.
● Dresden was technically a Nazi city, so attacking it did help the war
effort
● Wanted to affect German morale negatively and take “revenge” for Nazi
atrocities
● Wanted to show their power to the Soviet Union.
Works Cited
Biesinger, Joseph A. Germany: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present. New York, NY:
Facts On File, 2006. Print.
Bombing of Dresden in World War II. Digital image. Http://wikimedia.com. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-087780001,_Dresden,_Tote_nach_Bombenangriff.jpg>.
“Chronology of World War II (1945).” Chronology of World War II (1945). Np., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2015
Crane, Conrad C. “Dresden, Air Attacks on (1945).” Atrocities, Massacres, and War Crimes: An
Encyclopedia. Ed. Alexander Mikaberidze. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2013. 152-155.
Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
“Dresden Bombing.” Battles that Changed History: An Encyclopedia of World Conflict. Spencer C. Tucker.
Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011. 539-541. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 12 Mar
2015.
“Dresden Is Filled with Refugees.” Dresden Is Filled with Refugees. Whale, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Friedrich, Jörg. The Fire: The Bombing of Germany, 1940-1945. New York: Columbia UP, 2008. Print.
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/heroesvillains/g1/cs1/